In 2016, the USGS reorganized the Landsat archive into a tiered collection. This structure ensures that Landsat Level-1 products provide a consistent archive of known data quality to support time-series analyses and data “stacking”, while controlling continuous improvement of the archive and access to all data as they are acquired.
Learn more:
Related Content
What are U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD)?
U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) are pre-packaged and pre-processed bundles of Landsat data products that make the Landsat archive more accessible and easier to analyze, and reduce the amount of time users spend on data processing for time-series analysis. ARD contains Level-2 products derived from Landsat Collections Level-1 scenes. ARD are tiled, georegistered, top of atmosphere, and...
What are Landsat Collection Tiers?
Landsat Collection Tiers are the inventory structure for Level-1 data products and are based on data quality and level of processing. The tier definition purpose is to support easier identification of suitable scenes for time-series pixel-level analysis, and provide temporary data that are processed immediately upon downlink to be dispensed quickly in emergency response situations with limited...
What Landsat data products are available?
There are several Landsat data products that are useful for science applications and land use/land change studies: Landsat Level-1 Science Products - Each Level-1 scene includes individual spectral band files, a metadata file, and additional ancillary files. These products cover worldwide scenes. U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) - Uses Landsat Collections Level-1 data as input to provide...
What are LandsatLook images?
LandsatLook images are full-resolution .jpeg files that were included as options when downloading Landsat Level-1 data from EarthExplorer or GloVis. Landsat Collection 2 LandsatLook images are now called "Full Resolution Browse images". Download them from EarthExplorer as individual files for each Landsat 1 through Landsat 9 Level-1 scene. These are useful for simple visual interpretation without...
How do I search for and download Landsat data?
Landsat data products held in the USGS archives can be searched and downloaded at no charge from a variety of sources. Visit Landsat Data Access for information about how Landsat data products can be downloaded individually or in bulk. Landsat imagery not found in the USGS archive might have been collected by one of the USGS International Cooperator ground stations, each of which are the primary...
How do I open Landsat satellite data files?
Many image processing programs (ERDAS IMAGINE®, PCI Geomatica®, ENVI®, IDRISI®, etc.)* can import a variety of image formats, including the GeoTIFF files of Landsat data. Free Multispec software that is included with the USGS lesson plan Tracking Change Over Time can be used for limited spectral analysis. To view Landsat scenes without using specialized software, download the LandsatLook images (...
I have a list of historical Landsat Level-1 Scene IDs; how can I determine the corresponding Landsat Collections Level-1 Product Identifier?
The historical Landsat Level-1 Scene ID is in the EarthExplorer metadata. After entering a search using the historical Scene ID, the Landsat Level-1 Collection 1 Product Identifier will be returned in the search results. The results can be exported from EarthExplorer in a variety of formats for metadata parsing. We also encourage use of the Bulk Metadata Service to download files that contain both...
What are the Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 data product file sizes?
The file sizes of Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 data products are listed below: Sensor Compressed file Uncompressed file Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS 919 MB 1.61 GB Landsat 7 ETM+ 235 MB 785 MB Landsat 4-5 TM 150 MB 500 MB Landsat 1-5 MSS 20 MB 75 MB
How can I tell the difference between Landsat Collections data and Landsat data I have downloaded in the past?
Data that is processed to meet Collections specifications has a Landsat Product Identifier, as opposed to the historical Landsat Scene ID. Along with information inherited from the Scene ID, the Landsat Product Identifier includes the processing level, processing date, collection number, and collection category (bolded below). Scene ID Landsat Product Identifier LXSPPPRRRYYYYDDDGSIVV LXSS_LLL...
What is the naming convention for Landsat Collections Level-1 scenes?
The Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 product identifier includes the Collection processing levels, processing date, collection number, and collection tier category: LXSS_LLLL_PPPRRR_YYYYMMDD_yyyymmdd_CC_TX Where: L = Landsat X = Sensor (“C”=OLI/TIRS combined, “O”=OLI-only, “T”=TIRS-only, “E”=ETM+, “T”=“TM, “M”=MSS) SS = Satellite (”07”=Landsat 7, “08”=Landsat 8) LLL = Processing correction level (L1TP...
Related Content
- FAQ
What are U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD)?
U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) are pre-packaged and pre-processed bundles of Landsat data products that make the Landsat archive more accessible and easier to analyze, and reduce the amount of time users spend on data processing for time-series analysis. ARD contains Level-2 products derived from Landsat Collections Level-1 scenes. ARD are tiled, georegistered, top of atmosphere, and...
What are Landsat Collection Tiers?
Landsat Collection Tiers are the inventory structure for Level-1 data products and are based on data quality and level of processing. The tier definition purpose is to support easier identification of suitable scenes for time-series pixel-level analysis, and provide temporary data that are processed immediately upon downlink to be dispensed quickly in emergency response situations with limited...
What Landsat data products are available?
There are several Landsat data products that are useful for science applications and land use/land change studies: Landsat Level-1 Science Products - Each Level-1 scene includes individual spectral band files, a metadata file, and additional ancillary files. These products cover worldwide scenes. U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) - Uses Landsat Collections Level-1 data as input to provide...
What are LandsatLook images?
LandsatLook images are full-resolution .jpeg files that were included as options when downloading Landsat Level-1 data from EarthExplorer or GloVis. Landsat Collection 2 LandsatLook images are now called "Full Resolution Browse images". Download them from EarthExplorer as individual files for each Landsat 1 through Landsat 9 Level-1 scene. These are useful for simple visual interpretation without...
How do I search for and download Landsat data?
Landsat data products held in the USGS archives can be searched and downloaded at no charge from a variety of sources. Visit Landsat Data Access for information about how Landsat data products can be downloaded individually or in bulk. Landsat imagery not found in the USGS archive might have been collected by one of the USGS International Cooperator ground stations, each of which are the primary...
How do I open Landsat satellite data files?
Many image processing programs (ERDAS IMAGINE®, PCI Geomatica®, ENVI®, IDRISI®, etc.)* can import a variety of image formats, including the GeoTIFF files of Landsat data. Free Multispec software that is included with the USGS lesson plan Tracking Change Over Time can be used for limited spectral analysis. To view Landsat scenes without using specialized software, download the LandsatLook images (...
I have a list of historical Landsat Level-1 Scene IDs; how can I determine the corresponding Landsat Collections Level-1 Product Identifier?
The historical Landsat Level-1 Scene ID is in the EarthExplorer metadata. After entering a search using the historical Scene ID, the Landsat Level-1 Collection 1 Product Identifier will be returned in the search results. The results can be exported from EarthExplorer in a variety of formats for metadata parsing. We also encourage use of the Bulk Metadata Service to download files that contain both...
What are the Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 data product file sizes?
The file sizes of Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 data products are listed below: Sensor Compressed file Uncompressed file Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS 919 MB 1.61 GB Landsat 7 ETM+ 235 MB 785 MB Landsat 4-5 TM 150 MB 500 MB Landsat 1-5 MSS 20 MB 75 MB
How can I tell the difference between Landsat Collections data and Landsat data I have downloaded in the past?
Data that is processed to meet Collections specifications has a Landsat Product Identifier, as opposed to the historical Landsat Scene ID. Along with information inherited from the Scene ID, the Landsat Product Identifier includes the processing level, processing date, collection number, and collection category (bolded below). Scene ID Landsat Product Identifier LXSPPPRRRYYYYDDDGSIVV LXSS_LLL...
What is the naming convention for Landsat Collections Level-1 scenes?
The Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 product identifier includes the Collection processing levels, processing date, collection number, and collection tier category: LXSS_LLLL_PPPRRR_YYYYMMDD_yyyymmdd_CC_TX Where: L = Landsat X = Sensor (“C”=OLI/TIRS combined, “O”=OLI-only, “T”=TIRS-only, “E”=ETM+, “T”=“TM, “M”=MSS) SS = Satellite (”07”=Landsat 7, “08”=Landsat 8) LLL = Processing correction level (L1TP...
- Multimedia
- Publications
- News